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Not so long ago, when life threatened to overwhelm the typically tired and emotional party girl, she would make discreet inquiries about A-list psychotherapists, then book herself a few sessions on a glamorous couch in conditions of darkest secrecy. Now, however, there is a move away from all that. A growing number of high-profile subjects are outing themselves as devotees of neurolinguistic programming (NLP), an increasingly popular self-help fix.
NLP is a way of reprogramming the brain in order to change negative behaviour. It works by identifying subconscious pessimistic patterns, then zaps them by replacing them with new thoughts and images. A typical example would be the habitual smoker who is prone to lighting up when sipping a morning espresso or a glass of wine at the end of the day. An NLP therapist would program their brain to desire something other than a cigarette at those trigger moments.
NLP was invented in the 1970s in America by a mathematician and a linguistics professor. Britain’s most energetic proponent is the hypnotist Paul McKenna, who has reinvented himself from impresario of ritual humiliation to NLP genie, with books such as Change Your Life in Seven Days. “NLP is just high-tech hypnosis,” he says. “Your brain is like a computer, and it’s as if you are installing new software to overwrite programs that no longer work. The key programs of human behaviour are habit and imagination, and they are far more powerful than logic or willpower. I’ve seen people make astounding changes in their thoughts and behaviour quickly.” While NLP is not recommended for treating mental illness or deep-rooted emotional traumas, there are many areas where it does get fast results. Here are five of the most popular.
Finding love Why does NLP work? Attracting a mate relies on sending out the right signals to potential partners. If a person has subconscious anxieties or insecurities about love and relationships, they might be communicating this unwittingly through defensive body language, speech patterns and other inhibiting habits, such as nervous giggling and drinking too much.
Fear of public speaking Why does NLP work? People often list speaking in public as their biggest fear, second only to death. NLP explores how fearful thoughts can trigger a corresponding negative physical reaction, such as stammering or shaking.
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